Record Status This is a bibliographic record of a published health technology assessment. No evaluation of the quality of this assessment has been made for the HTA database. Citation miRInform Thyroid. Lansdale: HAYES, Inc.. Healthcare Technology Brief Publication. 2014 Authors' objectives Thyroid nodules are discrete masses present in the thyroid gland that are a common clinical finding among adults in the general population. Approximately 5% of women and 1% of men have a palpable thyroid nodule on physical examination. The evaluation of thyroid nodules, which may represent benign lesions or malignant thyroid tumors, typically includes a cytopathologic examination of a biopsy specimen obtained by fine-needle aspiration (FNA). Thyroid nodules are subsequently classified based on cytology, with 70% to 75% of nodules being benign and approximately 5% being malignant. Approximately 20% to 25% of thyroid nodules are classified as indeterminate and represent a significant diagnostic challenge for physicians. The follow-up
evaluation of patients with indeterminate results on FNA often includes surgical resection of the nodule or the entire thyroid gland. However, the surgery is unnecessary in most of these patients, as up to 80% of indeterminate nodules will prove to be benign after evaluation of the surgical thyroid tissue specimen. To help resolve the diagnostic ambiguity of indeterminate thyroid nodules, recent studies have sought to identify genetic or genomic markers that may aid in differentiating benign and malignant thyroid tumors. The miRInform Thyroid test evaluates FNA specimens for the presence of 17 different genetic alterations that have been associated with thyroid malignancy. Test results are either positive—meaning at least 1 marker was detected—or negative—meaning no markers were detected. A negative result does not necessarily indicate benign status. According to the manufacturer, use of miRInform Thyroid aids in the diagnosis of thyroid malignancy and may also provide information useful in characterizing the malignancy. Indexing Status Subject indexing assigned by CRD Language Published English Country of organisation United States English summary An English language summary is available. Address for correspondence HAYES, Inc., 157 S. Broad Street, Suite 200, Lansdale, PA 19446, USA. Tel: 215 855 0615; Fax: 215 855 5218 Email: hayesinfo@hayesinc.com AccessionNumber 32014000968 Date abstract record published 06/08/2014 |